Today is all about resources for writers and authors! And it’s an info-packed post 🙂 . To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop.
First, I was super excited to be part of the Indie Author Fringe Festival recently. The event’s focus was on running an author business. Registration was free and you can still access all of the speaker presentations from this event and past events for free. My presentation was on 5 steps to build author platform before you publish.
Are you a debut author or writer looking to get published? Visit YourAwesomeAuthorLife to get an info-packed cheat sheet on how to connect with readers before your first book even comes out and read my blog tips for writers.
Below I’ve gathered a round up of advice from writing craft to book marketing and also listed my go-to books and online resources as well!
My writing office space.
Writing Techniques:
Mystery Mondays: A Year of Writing Advice (Writing Tips From Over 30 Contributing Authors) by Kristina Stanley
Getting Your Manuscript In Shape on Literary Rambles
10-part series with Jennifer Eaton on Getting Your Manuscript Past the Gatekeepers
Writing Scary for Kids with Kid Thrillers
Letting Go: In Writing, in Life
I hope you’ve made your own writing space too!
Top 5 things my editor taught me
Evolution of a Writing Process
Watchers: Heroes in Fiction
Top 6 things my editor taught me in writing a children’s book
Writing middle grade
Building suspense: meet readers in the middle
Cover yourself in your writing
Creating believable characters
On writing taboos in books
Book Marketing:
4 proven steps to reach readers
Book Club Tips: Is your book book club-worthy?
10 ways to build your email subscriber list
Needing Inspiration:
When you need inspiration to write and to read
When you just need some comic relief
For new writers
Write every day! Journal Writing: The A to Z Challenge
My Online Resources:
The Blood Red Pencil
Writing-Partner
Writers Helping Writers
Writer Unboxed
Fiction University
Publishers Marketplace
Agent Marie Lamba: Agent Mondays
A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing
Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents
Literary Rambles: Spotlighting Children’s Book Authors, Agents, and Publishing
Rachelle Gardner’s blog: Literary Agent
Author Jody Hedlund blog
Author Nathan Bransford blog
Manuscript Wish List
Writer’s Digest Top 101 Best Websites for Writers
My How-To On Writing Bookshelf:
Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
SNAP: Seizing Your Aha! Moments by Katherine Ramsland
The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It by Twyla Tharp
Conflict & Suspense by James Scott Bell
Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass
Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass
On Writing by Stephen King
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
Essentials of English by Barron’s
Do you have any go-to writer resources? Share them here!
Wow! What a great resource. I look forward to checking out all this wonderful information when I have a little more time. Thanks so much!
I’ve taken Lisa Cron’s Story Genius course online. It’s the most difficult course I’ve ever taken. I was trying to do it with memoir which is more difficult because everything needs to be true.
Thank you so much for this great information. I’ve shared it online and will check out the sites from your list that I haven’t visited yet. Thanks again!
I love Lisa Cron’s books and use them widely! I can see how that would be more difficult with memoir. Glad this post is useful to you!
This is a fantastic list. Thank you. Tweeting now.
Awesome! Thanks Mina 🙂
So many great resources! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
You’re so welcome! Hope some are handy
Remarkable list of resources. Thanks for sharing. Writers at all levels can find something to use and improve their writing, social media and marketing.
Thanks Cheryl! Hope it’s useful 🙂
Thanks for the list. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
Absolutely! I know I love lists of resources myself 🙂
Wow, I am definitely bookmarking this list. Thanks for putting this together
Awesome! Hope it helps 🙂
Great resources. I have bookmarked this post! Thanks for gathering them and sharing.
You’re welcome Kimberly! Come back any time 🙂
Okay, so this is a 2-hour detour minimum. There is so much great content here. I’ve read two of the articles so far and bookmarked more. Thanks so much, Donna!
Woohoo! Thanks so much Raimey. And thanks for making this awesome blog hop happen and offering such a resource for writers!
Wow! I will definitely be coming back to this post over time and again. I want to get started on visiting each link now but am employing restraint, lol. Thanks for sharing!
Ha ha Lupa! Come back any time 🙂
What a great list of resources! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Ronel! Hope they are useful to you 🙂
Wow, Donna, you weren’t kidding! This post is packed with great resources!
Some sites I’d suggest including for those in the revision or editing stage are Scribophile.com and Absolutewrite.com/forums and Betabooks.co. The first two are invaluable tools for discussing story specifics or general craft, and both have tons of writers to mine for CPs and betareaders that click with different stories. Betabooks is nothing like those, but it’s my #1 go-to when running a beta, because it lets the author track and monitor readers and organize their feedback all in one place.
Thanks for this!
Thanks Jess! You mention some great sites here that I havent used myself but hear other writers rave about – so thanks for sharing! And I love this idea of Betabooks.co. So many times writers ask me about beta resources.